Establishment of the Arctic Maritime Safety Information (AMSI) database
for the Arctic Ocean and other high Latitude waters
See the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) Maritime Safety
Information Division at: http://pollux.nss.nima.mil
See the end of this message for a sample Arctic Maritime Safety
Information Report Sheet
PURPOSE: This message announces the establishment of a database for
reporting and sharing information on maritime hazards to both surface
ships and submarines (military and commercial) in the international
waters of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent northern seas.
This information is applicable to any person who physically collects
data from, or works in the Arctic Ocean.
BACKGROUND: The Maritime Safety Information Division of the (United
States) National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) provides navigational
safety information to mariners worldwide. The various types of
information provided by the Maritime Safety Information Division alert
mariners to military operations, major navigational aid failures and
changes, large drifting navigational hazards, cable laying, scientific,
and survey operations, search and rescue activities, and any other event
or situation deemed a serious hazard to navigation. This information is
distributed to mariners worldwide through several different methods.
At the present time, there is no centralized system for collecting or
distributing maritime safety information in the Arctic Ocean. The
northern limits for existing reports on Maritime Safety Information
around the world are:
- At 67°N just north of the Bering Strait,
- At 67°N across the Davis Strait between Greenland and Canada; and
- At 71°N across the Norwegian and East Greenland Seas from the
Norwegian North Cape to the Greenland Coast.
The region north of the above limits will be the area covered by the new
Arctic Maritime Safety Information (AMSI) database.
There is now growing evidence that the ice cover in the Arctic Ocean and
northern seas is decreasing, both in mass and in areal extent. Such
changes in the Arctic environment logically inspire concepts for
commercial maritime exploitation of the area, and concurrently, motivate
increased research in the ocean. Because greater use of the Arctic is
being realized by all elements of society - commercial, military and
scientific, it is appropriate that the Arctic Ocean be as respected as
the other temperate oceans and navigated with concern for the presence
of maritime hazards.
APPLICABILITY: This announcement is intended for those who deploy
structures in the Arctic Ocean, conduct Arctic Ocean based activities,
or deploy (scientific) remote sensing systems in the Arctic Ocean -
similar to activities and objects that are now considered hazards and
are reported as such in the temperate oceans. Similarly, those mariners
who use the high latitude waters (military and civilian) should become
familiar with the new database to enable them to obtain maritime hazard
information not previously available.
The hazards considered appropriate for reporting include (but are not
limited to): rock dredges, grab samplers, piston corers, Niskin bottle
rosettes, sediment traps, current meters, geophysical operations, any
bottom moored buoy or bottom mounted structure, and unmanned or
autonomous underwater vehicles (UUV/AUV). Objects suspended through the
ice to a depth of 30 meters or greater should also be reported.
PROCEDURE: At present for the Arctic Ocean there is no internationally
defined Navigation Safety Area, nor an area control authority, nor a
broad-area-capable radio broadcast by which maritime
warnings/hazards/Notices to Mariners (NtMs) can be collected and
distributed to vessels at sea. The database described here is intended
to fill this void with a simple internet-based system predicated on
timely reporting and posting of hazards. Mariners anticipating their
voyage to the Arctic should consult the NIMA web site
(http://pollux.nss.nima.mil) in advance to obtain a list of all
submitted hazards. Concurrent with the posting of hazards, NIMA will
establish an Arctic Maritime Safety Information "AMSI" database.
NIMA Action: The NIMA Maritime Safety Division will do the following:
1. Manage a reporting and information database that will support the
safety of vessels of all nations at sea in the international waters of
Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas outside (north) of all current maritime
safety information systems.
2. Prepare and make available a form for reporting all maritime
hazards in the Arctic Region. This form will be available on the
website. A sample of this form is attached to this announcement.
3. Create a special "Arctic Maritime Safety Information" query page
on the NIMA "Maritime Safety Information Division" website
(http://pollux.nss.nima.mil) under the " Broadcast Messages" menu item.
All maritime hazards and warnings reported in the international waters
of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas will be posted to this query page.
4. Implementation of this database is anticipated on 01 March 2003.
Procedures to Report a Maritime Hazard in the Arctic: Individuals or
organizations creating, placing or observing a maritime hazard in the
Arctic area defined above are requested to do the following: (Refer to
the Reporting Sheet below)
1. Document the hazard.
a. Include the reporting individual/organization (with point of
contact), voice telephone number and/or email address.
b. Describe the hazard - What is it? (e.g., dredge, buoy, current
meter), How much of the water column is occupied? (e.g., "bottom to
surface" or "surface to 500m").
c. Where is the hazard located? Use mercator coordinates. If
drifting or moving in or outside of pack ice, provide insertion
location. Provide set and drift and/or removal location, if known.
d. Date of insertion in the water.
e. Date of removal and/or cancellation of the hazard.
f. Indicate if the position of the hazard will be remotely
monitored. (Yes/No)
2. Report hazard to NIMA by email at navsafety [at] nima.mil or telephone to
the watch desk, tel. 1-301-227-3147 or 1-800-362-6289 or by Fax at
1-301-227-3731.
3. All hazards reported to NIMA will be posted on the "Arctic
Maritime Safety Information" query page of the NIMA website
(http://pollux.nss.nima.mil) for the period defined in the original
report or three weeks, whichever occurs first.
4. Individuals and organizations monitoring drifting hazards in the
water for indefinite periods or longer than three weeks should provide a
weekly updated position and current point of contact as in step 1 above.
NIMA will then maintain the hazard in the AMSI database.
5. Individuals or organizations with existing hazards now implanted in
the Arctic Ocean are requested to submit Arctic Maritime Safety
Information Report Sheets, to ensure that the database is up to date.
A sample report template is attached.
ARCTIC MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION REPORT SHEET
Observer_____________________________________________________________________
Ship/Organization____________________________________________________________
Phone _____________________________Email Address_____________________________
Describe Hazard (e.g., dredge, buoy, current meter, operations)
Depth water column is occupied (i.e. "bottom to surface", "surface to 500m")
Date of Insertion _____________________ Date of Removal______________________
If observed, Date _____________________ Time (Local)_________________________
Latitude___________________ Longitude____________________ Datum______________
Navigation System_____________________ Verified by Navigator: Yes____ No____
Sounding sensor or method used_______________________________________________
Soundings corrected for draft: Yes_______ No_______
Details of Information Reported (continue on additional sheets as necessary)
Email Form to NIMA Navsafety [at] nima.mil
Fax to NIMA (301) 227-3731